Study Finds That High-Risk Antibiotic is Given to 20% of Patients Having Dental Infections

When a person develops a serious dental infection, the pain can be excruciating, particularly when that pain spreads to the neck, ear and jaw. It is worse when the infection causes the neck and throat to swell. Patients often visit emergency departments, urgent care centers or their primary health provider if they are unable to see a dentist at that time. 

During such a visit, the patient often gets an antibiotic prescription and OTC pain relievers. This treatment is essentially a “band-aid” until the person is able to see a dentist for proper treatment. Now, a new study has found that a lot needs to be done while selecting the antibiotic to prescribe in such emergencies so that the least risky option is recommended to a patient. 

The researchers wanted to know what antibiotics are prescribed for dental infections and whether such prescriptions minimize possible risks to the patients. 

Lisa Dumkow, who led the study that was conducted in Michigan, said that they were pleased to find that 75% of patients were given a penicillin-containing antibiotic. This was good because the ADA (American Dental Association) recommends that antibiotics in this class be used when a patient presents with a dental infection. 

However, the researchers were disturbed after finding that almost 20% of the patients who sought help after developing a dental infection and they couldn’t immediately see a dentist were given clindamycin. This antibiotic has well-documented risks, especially its likelihood to trigger infections that can be life-threatening, such as severe diarrhea that could destroy the intestinal lining. 

These risks stem from a bacterium called C. difficile. Because of this known risk, clindamycin has carried a black box warning on its packaging. This is the highest warning level the FDA assigns to drugs. 

Clindamycin should only be prescribed when no other viable option exists, which explains why the researchers were concerned when they found that almost 20% of the patients in their study received this antibiotic. 

The researchers also say a high proportion of patients who received clindamycin experienced treatment failure and needed another prescription of either the same antibiotic or a different one. However, other experts say this need for another antibiotic prescription doesn’t necessarily mean the first prescription didn’t work; rather, it could suggest that the underlying condition, a dental infection, hasn’t been treated and only a procedure like a root canal or other dental procedure can address the underlying cause of pain. 

The study also highlighted the need to examine a patient’s history of penicillin allergy before deciding whether to skip penicillin as an option for such a patient. Data indicates that many people outgrow penicillin allergies, while some reported reactions are mild or reflect intolerance rather than a true allergy; clinicians should assess that history before ruling out penicillin-class antibiotics. 

As antibiotic resistance grows, the study needs to be taken with a lot of seriousness so that antibiotics are used when it is absolutely necessary, and people should be advised to see a dentist as soon as possible so that antibiotic use for dental infections is kept to a minimum. 

As medical experts continue to spread awareness about the different antibiotics and when they can or cannot be used, enterprises like Co-Diagnostics Inc. (NASDAQ: CODX) are also playing their role by developing compact diagnostic tools that can help in quickly diagnosing different infections so that the right treatment can be started promptly, thereby minimizing the unnecessary use of antibiotics. 

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